Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to the courtroom this week as the Federal Trade Commission’s case against the social media giant began in earnest. The government alleges that Meta unlawfully stifled competition by acquiring emerging rivals—specifically Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014—for a combined $23 billion.
The FTC contends these acquisitions allowed Meta to establish a monopoly in what it calls the “personal social-networking” market. According to prosecutors, rather than innovating, Meta bought out the competition to prevent new challengers from gaining traction.
Meta rejects these claims, arguing the market is broader than the FTC alleges and includes platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). The company points to usage surges during TikTok outages as evidence that consumers view these platforms as interchangeable.
The trial—originally filed during Trump’s first term—has taken over four years to reach this stage. If the FTC prevails, Meta could be ordered to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, radically changing the digital media ecosystem.
Meta also warned that breaking up U.S.-based tech companies could inadvertently give foreign rivals like the China-owned TikTok greater market dominance. The irony, they argue, is that the government’s crackdown could benefit the very adversaries it seeks to contain.
This case represents one of the most aggressive efforts by the U.S. government to rein in tech industry consolidation and could become a benchmark for future antitrust litigation.
As the trial unfolds over the next eight weeks, legal analysts say the decision will not only impact Meta but could also influence how other tech giants approach mergers, innovation, and competition going forward.
